This chapter gives us an account of the reign of
Uzziah (Azariah he was called in the Kings) more fully than we had
it before, though it was long, and in some respects illustrious,
yet it was very briefly related, 2 Kings xiv. 21; xv. 1, &c. Here
is, I. His good character in general, ver. 1-5. II. His great prosperity in his
wars, his buildings, and all the affairs of his kingdom, ver. 6-15. III. His presumption in
invading the priests' office, for which he was struck with a
leprosy, and confined by it (ver.
16-21) even to his death, ver. 22, 23.

Uzziah's Prosperity. (b. c. 800.)

1 Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who
was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his
father Amaziah. 2 He built Eloth, and restored it to Judah,
after that the king slept with his fathers. 3 Sixteen years
old was Uzziah when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty
and two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was
Jecoliah of Jerusalem. 4 And he did that which was
right in the sight of the Lord,
according to all that his father Amaziah did. 5 And he
sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the
visions of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper. 6 And he
went forth and warred against the Philistines, and brake down the
wall of Gath, and the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod, and
built cities about Ashdod, and among the Philistines. 7 And
God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians
that dwelt in Gur-baal, and the Mehunims. 8 And the
Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah: and his name spread abroad
even to the entering in of Egypt; for he strengthened
himself exceedingly. 9 Moreover Uzziah built towers
in Jerusalem at the corner gate, and at the valley gate, and at the
turning of the wall, and fortified them. 10 Also he
built towers in the desert, and digged many wells: for he had much
cattle, both in the low country, and in the plains: husbandmen
also, and vine dressers in the mountains, and in Carmel: for
he loved husbandry. 11 Moreover Uzziah had a host of
fighting men, that went out to war by bands, according to the
number of their account by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and
Maaseiah the ruler, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the
king's captains. 12 The whole number of the chief of the
fathers of the mighty men of valour were two thousand and
six hundred. 13 And under their hand was an army,
three hundred thousand and seven thousand and five hundred, that
made war with mighty power, to help the king against the enemy.
14 And Uzziah prepared for them throughout all the host
shields, and spears, and helmets, and habergeons, and bows, and
slings to cast stones. 15 And he made in Jerusalem
engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the
bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name
spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was
strong.

We have here an account of two things
concerning Uzziah:—

I. His piety. In this he was not very
eminent or zealous; yet he did that which was right in the sight
of the Lord. He kept up the pure worship of the true God as
his father did, and was better than his father, inasmuch as we
have no reason to think he ever worshipped idols as his father did,
no, not in his latter days, when his heart was lifted up. It
is said (v. 5), He
sought God in the days of Zechariah, who, some think, was
the son of the Zechariah whom his grandfather Joash slew. This
Zechariah was one that had understanding in the visions of
God, either the visions which he himself was favoured with or
the visions of the preceding prophets. He was well versed in
prophecy, and conversed much with the upper world, was an
intelligent, devout, good man; and, it seems, had great influence
with Uzziah. Happy are the great men who have such about them and
are willing to be advised by them; but unhappy those who seek God
only while they have such with them and have not a principle in
themselves to bear them out to the end.

II. His prosperity.

1. In general, as long as he sought the
Lord, and minded religion, God made him to prosper.
Note, (1.) Those only prosper whom God makes to prosper; for
prosperity is his gift. (2.) Religion and piety are very friendly
to outward prosperity. Many have found and owned this, that as long
as they sought the Lord and kept close to their duty they
prospered; but since they forsook God every thing has gone
cross.

2. Here are several particular instances of
his prosperity:—(1.) His success in his wars: God helped
him (v. 7), and
then he triumphed over the Philistines (those old enemies of God's
people), demolished the fortifications of their cities, and put
garrisons of his own among them, v. 6. He obliged the Ammonites to pay
him tribute, v. 8.
He made all quiet about him, and kept them in awe. (2.) The
greatness of his fame and reputation. His name was celebrated
throughout all the neighbouring countries (v. 8) and it was a good name, a name
for good things with God and good people. This is true fame, and
makes a man truly honourable. (3.) His buildings. While he acted
offensively abroad, he did not neglect the defence of his kingdom
at home, but built towers in Jerusalem and fortified them,
v. 9. Much of the
wall of Jerusalem was in his father's time broken down,
particularly at the corner gate. But his best fortification
of Jerusalem was his close adherence to the worship of God: if his
father had not forsaken this the wall of Jerusalem would not have
been broken down. While he fortified the city, he did not forget
the country, but built towers in the desert too (v. 10), to protect the
country people from the inroads of the plunderers, bands of whom
sometimes alarmed them and plundered them, as ch. xxi. 16. (4.) His husbandry. He
dealt much in cattle and corn, employed many hands, and got much
wealth by his dealing; for he took a pleasure in it: he loved
husbandry (v.
10), and probably did himself inspect his affairs in the
country, which was no disparagement to him, but an advantage, as it
encouraged industry among his subjects. It is an honour to the
husbandman's calling that one of the most illustrious princes of
the house of David followed it and loved it. He was not one of
those that delight in war, nor did he addict himself to sport and
pleasure, but delighted in the innocent and quiet employments of
the husbandman. (5.) His standing armies. He had, as it should
seem, two military establishments. [1.] A host of fighting
men that were to make excursions abroad. These went out to
war by bands, v.
11. They fetched in spoil from the neighbouring
countries by way of reprisal for the depredations they had so often
made upon Judah, [2.] Another army for guards and garrisons,
that were ready to defend the country in case it should be invaded,
v. 12, 13. So
great were their number and valour that they made war with
mighty power; no enemy durst face them, or, at least, could
stand before them. Men unarmed can do little in war. Uzziah
therefore furnished himself with a great armoury, whence his
soldiers were supplied with arms offensive and defensive (v. 14), spears, bows, and
slings, shields, helmets, and habergeons: swords are not mentioned,
because it is probable that every man had a sword of his own, which
he wore constantly. Engines were invented, in his time, for
annoying besiegers with darts and stones shot from the towers and
bulwarks, v. 15.
What a pity it is that the wars and fightings which come from men's
lusts have made it necessary for cunning men to employ their skill
in inventing instruments of death.

Uzziah's Sin and Punishment. (b. c. 763.)

16 But when he was strong, his heart was lifted
up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of
the Lord to burn incense upon the
altar of incense. 17 And Azariah the priest went in after
him, and with him fourscore priests of the Lord, that were valiant men: 18
And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It
appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the
Lord, but to the priests the sons of
Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the
sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for
thine honour from the Lord God.
19 Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his
hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the
leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the
house of the Lord, from beside the
incense altar. 20 And Azariah the chief priest, and all the
priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his
forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted
also to go out, because the Lord had
smitten him. 21 And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day
of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper;
for he was cut off from the house of the Lord: and Jotham his son was over the
king's house, judging the people of the land. 22 Now the
rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the prophet,
the son of Amoz, write. 23 So Uzziah slept with his fathers,
and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial
which belonged to the kings; for they said, He is a
leper: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.

Here is the only blot we find on the name
of king Uzziah, and it is such a one as lies not on any other of
the kings. Whoredom, murder, oppression, persecution, and
especially idolatry, gave characters to the bad kings and some of
them blemishes to the good ones, David himself not excepted,
witness the matter of Uriah. But we find not Uzziah charged with
any of these; and yet he transgressed against the Lord his
God, and fell under the marks of his displeasure in
consequence, not, as other kings, in vexatious wars or rebellions,
but an incurable disease.

I. His sin was invading the priest's
office. The good way is one; by-paths are many. The transgression
of his predecessors was forsaking the temple of the Lord, flying
off from it (ch. xxiv.
18), and burning incense upon idolatrous altars,
ch. xxv. 14.
His was intruding into the temple of the Lord further
than was allowed him, and attempting him to burn incense upon
the altar of God, for which, it is likely, he pretended an
extraordinary zeal and affection. See how hard it is to avoid one
extreme and not run into another.

1. That which was at the bottom of his sin
was pride of heart, a lust that ruins more than any other
whatsoever (v. 16):
When he was strong (and he was marvellously helped by the
good providence of God till he was so, v. 15), when he had grown very great
and considerable in wealth, interest, and power, instead of lifting
up the name of God in gratitude to him who had done so much for
him, his heart was lifted up to his destruction. Thus the
prosperity of fools, by puffing them up with pride, destroys them.
Now that he had done so much business, and won so much honour, he
began to think no business, no honour, too great or too good for
him, no, not that of the priesthood Men's pretending to forbidden
knowledge, and exercising themselves in things too high for them,
are owing to the pride of their heart, and the fleshly mind they
are vainly puffed up with.

2. His sin was going into the temple of
the Lord to burn incense, probably on some solemn feast day, or
when he himself had some special occasion for supplicating the
divine favour. What could move him to this piece of presumption, or
put it into his head, I cannot conjecture. None of all his
predecessors, not the best, not the worst, attempted it. The law,
he knew, was express against him, and there was no usage or
precedent for him. He could not pretend any necessity, as there was
for David's eating the show-bread. (1.) Perhaps he fancied the
priests did not do their office so dexterously, decently, and
devoutly, as they ought, and he could do it better. Or, (2.) He
observed that the idolatrous kings did themselves burn incense at
the altars of their gods; his father did so, and Jeroboam
(1 Kings xiii. 1), an
ambition of which honour was perhaps one thing that tempted them
from the house of God, where it was not permitted them; and he,
being resolved to cleave to God's altar, would try to break through
this restraint and come as near it as the idolatrous kings did to
their altars. But it is called a transgression against the Lord
his God. He was not content with the honours God had put upon
him, but would usurp those that were forbidden him, like our first
parents.

3. He was opposed in this attempt by the
chief priest and other priests that attended and assisted him,
v. 17, 18. They
were ready to burn incense for the king, according to the duty of
their place; but, when he offered to do it himself, they plainly
let him know that he meddled with that which did not belong to him,
and that it was at his peril. They did not resist him by laying
violent hands on him, though they were valiant men, but by
reasoning with him and showing him, (1.) That it was not lawful for
him to burn incense: "It appertaineth not to thee, O Uzziah!
but to the priests, whose birthright it is, as sons of
Aaron, and who are consecrated to the service." Aaron and his sons
were appointed by the law to burn incense, Exod. xxx. 7. See Deut. xxxiii. 10; 1 Chron. xxiii.
13. David had blessed the people and Solomon and
Jehoshaphat had prayed with them and preached to them. Uzziah might
have done this, and it would have been to his praise; but as for
burning incense, that service was to be performed by the priests
only, and you can find
more about that here on
st-takla.org on other commentaries and
dictionary entries. The kingly and priestly offices were separated by the law of
Moses, not to be united again but in the person of the Messiah. If
Uzziah did intend to honour God, and gain acceptance with him, in
what he did, he was quite out in his aim; for, being a service
purely of divine institution, he could not expect it should be
accepted unless it were done in the way and by the hands that God
had appointed. (2.) That it was not safe. It shall not be for
thy honour from the Lord God. More is implied: "It will be thy
disgrace, and it is at thy peril." The law runs expressly against
all strangers that came nigh (Num.
iii. 10; xviii. 7), that is, all that were not priests.
Korah and his accomplices, though Levites, paid dearly for offering
to burn incense, which was the work of the priests only, Num. xvi. 35. The incense of our
prayers must be by faith put into the hands of our Lord Jesus, the
great high priest of our profession, else we cannot expect it
should be accepted by God, Rev. viii.
3.

4. He fell into a passion with the priests
that reproved him, and would push forward to do what he intended
notwithstanding (v.
19): Uzziah was wroth, and would not part with
the censer out of his hand. He took it ill to be checked, and would
not bear interference. Nitimur in vetitum—We are prone
to do what is forbidden.

II. His punishment was an incurable
leprosy, which rose up in his forehead while he was contending with
the priests. If he had submitted to the priests' admonition,
acknowledged his error, and gone back, all would have been well;
but when he was wroth with the priests, and fell foul upon
them, then God was wroth with him and smote him with a plague of
leprosy. Josephus says that he threatened the priests with death if
they opposed him, and that then the earth shook, the roof of the
temple opened, and through the cleft a beam of the sun darted
directly upon the king's face, wherein immediately the leprosy
appeared. And some conjecture that that was the earthquake in the
days of Uzziah which we read of Amos i. 1 and Zech. xiv. 5. Now this
sudden stroke, 1. Ended the controversy between him and the
priests; for, when the leprosy appeared, they were emboldened to
thrust him out of the temple; nay, he himself hasted to go out,
because the Lord had smitten him with a disease which was in a
particular manner a token of his displeasure, and which he knew
secluded him from common converse with men, much more from the
altar of God. He would not be convinced by what the priests said,
but God took an effectual course to convince him. If presumptuous
men will not be made to see their error by the judgments of God's
mouth, they shall be made to see it by the judgments of his hand.
It evinced some religious fear of God in the heart of this king,
even in the midst of his transgression, that, as soon as he found
God was angry with him, he not only let fall his attempt, but
retired with the utmost precipitation. Though he strove with the
priests, he would not strive with his Maker. 2. It remained a
lasting punishment of his transgression; for he continued a
leper to the day of his death, shut up in confinement, and
shut out from society, and forced to leave it to his son to manage
all his business, v.
21. Thus God gave an instance of his resisting the proud
and of his jealousy for the purity and honour of his own
institutions; thus he gave fair warning even to great and good men
to know and keep their distance, and not to intrude into those
things which they have not seen; and thus he gave Uzziah a loud and
constant call to repentance, and a long space to repent, which we
have reason to hope he improved. He had been a man of much business
in the world; but being taken off from that, and confined to a
separate house, he had leisure to think of another world and
prepare for it. By this judgment upon the king God intended to
possess the people with a great veneration for the temple, the
priesthood, and other sacred things, which they had been apt to
think meanly of. While the king was a leper, he was as good as
dead, dead while he lived, and buried alive; and so the law was, in
effect, answered, that the stranger who cometh nigh shall be put to
death. The disgrace survived him; for, when he was dead, they would
not bury him in the sepulchres of the kings because he was a
leper, which stained all his other glory. 3. It was a punishment
that answered the sin as face does face in a glass. (1.) Pride was
at the bottom of his transgression, and thus God humbled him and
put dishonour upon him. (2.) He invaded the office of the priests
in contempt of them, and God struck him with a disease which in a
particular manner made him subject to the inspection and sentence
of the priests; for to them pertained the judgment of the
leprosy, Deut. xxiv. 8.
(3.) He thrust himself into the temple of God, whither the priests
only had admission, and for that was thrust out of the very courts
of the temple, into which the meanest of his subjects that was
ceremonially clean had free access. (4.) He confronted the priests
that faced him and opposed his presumption, and for that the
leprosy rose in his forehead, which, in Miriam's case, is
compared to her father's spitting in her face, Num. xii. 14. (5.) He invaded the
dignity of the priesthood, which he had no right to, and for that
he was deprived even of his royal dignity, which he had a right to.
Those that covet forbidden honours forfeit allowed ones. Adam, by
catching at the tree of knowledge of which he might not eat,
debarred himself from the tree of life, of which he might have
eaten. Let all that read it say, The Lord is righteous.